


A Pound of Cure

by FrenchRoast



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5041855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchRoast/pseuds/FrenchRoast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle watches over Rumple as he lies in a coma; Henry comes by with something he hopes will help makes things better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pound of Cure

The bell on the pawnshop door dinged brashly. Someone had come back.

It surprised Belle, given the current preoccupation with Emma's new Dark-One-ness. Now that the savior was the Dark One, everyone was suddenly certain there was a way to remove the darkness. The same darkness that before now they'd all ignored was a curse, and not Rumple's true self.

He wasn't blameless; he had _become_ the Dark One on his own, through his actions, after all. But he was so much more than the wicked little imp the rest of the town assumed he was. The darkness had spun him into its dark tapestry, weaving so fine that even he had trouble seeing where the darkness ended and the man began. Belle had seen it. And now he was free of that darkness. Everyone else had given up on the man within, but that man was the only part of him left now.

Belle twirled a few strands of Rumple's hair between her fingers as he lay immobile, still dressed in his impeccable suit. He was alive. Just barely, but he seemed as trapped by magic now as he'd ever been.

"Belle?" Henry's voice carried into the back of the shop where Belle sat watching over Rumple.

"Back here, Henry," Belle called out in reply. She smiled faintly at Rumple's still figure. "Your grandson's come to see you." She had no idea if Rumple was aware of what was going on around him, but if he was, she wanted him to know he had a visitor. Hopefully a visitor that wasn't there merely seeking answers to their own problems.

Henry stepped in the back of the shop. There was a medium-sized box in his hands. "You're not allergic to animals, are you?"

Not the kind of question Belle expected, but she shook her head in response nonetheless.

"Awesome," he said, beaming. "I brought something for my grandpa. And for you." Before he could do anything, a fluffy orange tabby kitten popped his head out of the top of the box, and promptly jumped from the box. Henry dropped the box and dashed after the ginger blur.

It was an older kitten, maybe 12 or 13 weeks old. Henry caught him quickly, but the cat meowed until Henry hugged him into his chest.

"Henry. That's very kind of you," Belle said. She loved cats, and this one was so sweet and adorable, nuzzling into Henry's neck the way he was, but she couldn't help but wonder how the hell she was going to take care of a kitten and a man in a magic coma at the same time. Their activity levels weren't exactly going to match up. Henry handed the kitten to her; he was so soft. And so light! He couldn't weigh more than a pound or two. She handed him back to Henry.

"I'm not sure we can take care of him with everything going on right now. But he is very sweet."

"I know you probably don't have time to do all the stuff a kitten needs," Henry said, catching Belle's reluctance. "But I bought food and toys and a litter box for him, and I'll come visit and take care of the litter box so you don't have to."

Belle felt an immediate rush of relief. A kitten would be a good way to occupy her time while still staying by Rumple's side.

"But best of all, he's going to help my grandpa." Henry sat the kitten on top of Rumple's still form. The kitten batted playfully at Rumple's nose, then coiled into a tiny purring furball. A loudly purring furball.  "Cat's purrs vibrate in a way that's supposed to help people heal faster," Henry explained. "And then Grace said she had this boy kitten that needed a home, so I thought--maybe he could help heal Grandpa!"

Belle reached over to pet the soft orange and white fuzz of the sleeping kitten. "Thanks, Henry. He needs all the help he can get. We'll keep him, especially if he needs a home."

"I had to leave the food and stuff at Granny's because he kept escaping from the box. Now that you have the kitten, I'll go get his stuff and be right back." Henry was out the back door before Belle had time to reply. She continued to pet the little cat. He yawned, showing all of his tiny teeth and a pink tongue. When his mouth closed, the very tip of his tongue remained sticking out.

"Little cat, you have no idea what you just got put in the middle of," Belle told him. "But before we get into that, you'll need a name." She glanced at the box that Henry had left behind, the one that the kitten had kept escaping from. "Schroedinger, I think. A big name for a very little cat. I think Rumplestiltskin would approve."

**Author's Note:**

> For shadedmoon's prompt: "My first prompt ever but with the lack of real Rumple on the show now could use some fluff so Belle adopts a pet."
> 
> Also, I picked the name b/c at the time I wrote it, we didn't know if Rumple was alive or dead, so it seemed fitting.


End file.
